Baozi Restaurant
The London influence is apparent as soon as you enter Baozi’s cozy dining room because Baozi’s story started in England, when Chris Huynh began selling Chinese-style buns from a small food card in the mouth-catering maze of London’s Camden Market. Huynh soon decided to bring the concept to Vietnam. Don’t miss the starters: a seaweed salad, sesame chicken wings, a homemade Scotch egg, especially “gua bao” – the fistful of moist, tender, braised pork belly, pickles, coriander and crushed sugared peanuts.
Address: 165 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, HCMC
Tan Nguyen Thai
Tan Nguyen Thai is known locally by Western expats, Chinese, and Vietnamese alike to have some of the best dumplings in town. A towering menu sitting on top of red and yellow signage will let you know you have made it to this always-packed hole in the wall in Saigon’s historic Cho Lon neighborhood. This should be a stop on any food lover’s visit to Vietnam. The menu is as extensive as it is delicious, featuring nearly a dozen pages of steamed or pan fried dumplings. Come with friends so you can try as much as possible.
Address: 102D Anh Duong Vuong, District 5, HCMC
San Fu Lou Restaurant
San Fu Lou Restaurant uses the traditional concept of a Chinese kitchen but with a new level of sophistication and a contemporary Oriental ambiance. An open kitchen, which is a first in Vietnam for a Chinese restaurant, allows diners to take in a visual feast before the food is served. At San Fu Lou, popular types of noodles are served with generous helpings of beef brisket, pork or wanton prawn dumplings for a fulfilling meal. An assortment of authentic Dim Sum is available daily, all exquisitely crafted by the master chefs. Apart from mainstream Cantonese fare, the restaurant is celebrated for roasting various meats such as Peking duck, to perfection. San Fu Lou is a place to enjoy Chinese classics with handpicked tea and allows all guests to appreciate nostalgic taste in these modern times.
Address: San Fu Lou 1 – AB Building, ground Floor, 76A Le Lai, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Li Bai Chinese Restaurant
Located on the second floor of the Saigon Sheraton, Li Bai boasts some of the best and most expensive Chinese food in the region. The Beijing Duck is widely regarded as one of the, if not the, tastiest in the city, and the Dim sum list is never ending. With such a high-end location, it’s no surprise that the service is great and ambiance pleasant.
Address: 88 Dong Khoi street, District 1, HCMC
Dim Sum House
When it comes to Dim Sum House, it is no exaggeration to say that the dim sum here is capable of awakening the senses by offering not only the aroma but also the appearance. Each dim sum in this restaurant is placed in a steamer with smoky that you can enjoy the essence of these specialties. Some famous dishes in Dim Sum House are shrimp dumpling, rice cake rolls with XO paste, Hong Kong spring rolls, black sesame and milk egg dumpling, especially frog congee with the light aroma of pandan leaves.
Address: 164 Le Lai, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Lee's Noodle Kitchen
One of the newer faces in town, Lee’s serves up a variety of tasty noodle dishes in one of Saigon’s most western neighborhoods. The prawn and pork dumplings are delicious and the roast duck mouth-watering, yet at Lee’s it is really the noodles that steal the show. Each dish can be ordered dry and then tossed in a sesame oil or as a soup with steaming pork broth.
Address: 23 Le Van Mien street, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC